Bimodal symmetric fission observed in the heaviest elements

Journal Article · Mon Jan 27 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.56.313· OSTI ID:6095263

Hulet, E K; Wild, J F; Dougan, R J; Lougheed, R W; Landrum, J H; Dougan, A D; Schadel, M; Hahn, R L; Baisden, P A; Henderson, C M

We measured the mass and kinetic-energy partitioning in the spontaneous fission of /sup 258/Fm, /sup 259/Md, /sup 260/Md, /sup 258/No, and /sup 260/(104). All fissioned with mass distributions that were symmetric. Total-kinetic-energy distributions peaked near either 200 or 235 MeV. Surprisingly, these energy distributions were skewed upward or downward from the peak in each case, except for /sup 260/(104), indicating a composite of two energy distributions. We interpret this as a mixture of liquid-drop-like and fragment-shell directed symmetric fission, although theory had not anticipated this phenomenon.

• Research Organization: University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6095263
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 56:4; ISSN PRLTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

652026* -- Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=220 & above
Experimental-- Spontaneous & Induced Fission-- (-1987)
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
DATA
DECAY
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIUM 258
FERMIUM ISOTOPES
FISSION
HALF-LIFE
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIQUID DROP MODEL
MASS SPECTRA
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MENDELEVIUM 259
MENDELEVIUM 260
MENDELEVIUM ISOTOPES
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 100-1000
MICROSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NOBELIUM 258
NOBELIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEAR MODELS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SHELL MODELS
SPECTRA
SPONTANEOUS FISSION